1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an adapter by which the right hand or passenger side mounted starter motor at the rear of a Chevrolet or similar GM corporate block motor may be remounted at the rear of the left hand or driver's side of the block from the oil filter mounting pad location of the block. The adapter may or may not include integral oil passages for use with a remote oil filter and the remounting of the starter motor on the left hand side of the block does away with an obstruction (the starter motor mounted in the old mounting location thereof) which heretofore has prevented lateral outward enlargement of the right side and rear right corner of the oil pan mounted to the block.
2. Description of Related Art
Various different methods have been utilized for providing additional lubricating oil capacity for modified automobile or truck racing engines originally designed for personal and commercial usage. The oil pans have been increased in depth and also laterally expanded in order to increase the internal volume thereof. In addition, windage trays also have been used in an attempt to lessen the amount of lubricating oil which rises in the rear or side portions of an oil pan responsive to acceleration and cornering forces, which rising lubricating oil may be impacted by the counterweights and connecting rod lower ends of the associated crankshaft resulting in a reduction of maximum power output. In addition, when the counterweights of the crankshaft and connecting rod lower ends impact with and swing through such rising oil, foaming of the lubricating oil occurs with an attendant loss in lubricating efficiency when such foaming oil passes through an oil pump and is subsequently directed to internal bearing surfaces of the engine.
It has been estimated and measured that impact of the crankshaft counterweights and connecting rod lower ends with rising oil in the associated oil pan can result in a loss of 20 or more horsepower in a modified racing engine and the period during which oil rises in the right rear corner of the oil pans of modified racing engines occurs when the associated race car is accelerating out of a left hand turn (all turns being left handed in oval racing).
This oil buildup in the right rear corner (passenger side) also occurs during hard straight line acceleration, but not as violently as does occur when turning left and accelerating at the same time. Additionally, elevated oil temperatures are also eliminated by the crankshaft not swinging through and frictionally engaging the oil in the oil reservoir of the oil pan. This friction, occurring by the rotating mass coming in contact with the oil reservoir (which moves to different locations in the oil pump by the centrifugal forces generated by acceleration, turning etc.), can elevate temperatures in excess of 40 F degrees. Another advantage by the isolation of the rotating mass from the lubricating fluids, is the non-aeration of the oil or the ingestion of lubricant having air entrained therein by the lubricating system of the engine.
Of course, if a loss of 20 horsepower or more at the point at which a race car is exiting a turn or under hard acceleration can be eliminated, that race car has a considerable advantage over other race cars not having such an advantage.
The adapter of the instant invention is specifically designed to enable relocation of the right hand mounted starter motor of an engine to the left hand side of the engine, thereby eliminating an obstruction to lateral outward enlargement of the rear right hand corner and entire right hand side of the associated oil pan. By enlarging considerably the right side and the right rear corner of an engine oil pan, not only is the internal volume of the oil pan appreciably increased in order to reduce the operating temperature of the lubricating oil, but oil within the oil pan is provided with an area into which the oil may be forced by centrifugal and acceleration forces when the associated race car is exiting a left hand turn. By providing this additional internal volume to the oil pan at the right side and right rear corner thereof, oil within the oil pan under centrifugal and acceleration forces does not rise in an area immediately beneath the crankshaft of the engine and, therefore, the associated crankshaft counterweights and connecting rod lower ends do not impact with and swing through standing oil within the oil pan.
Examples of windage tray constructions, left side mounted starter motors and starter motor modifications for operative association with other engine modifications are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,035,124, 2,041,541, 2,945,484, 4,270,497, 4,519,348 and 4,955,343. However, these previously known devices do not include an adapter by which a conventional right hand mounted starter motor may be remounted from the oil filter mounting pad location on the left side of a motor.